LED Frequently Asked Questions

1- What is an LED ?

LED is the common abbreviation for a light-emitting diode. Each individual LED consists of a semiconductor diode that emits light when a voltage is applied to it. The electronics industry has used LED technology for several decades as indicator lights for various electronic devices. In more recent years, LED technology has progressed to the point where it is viable for general lighting applications.

2- What are the advantages to using LED luminaires ?

• Dependable: LED’s can withstand frequant on/off cycles without variation in light intensity. They reach 100% full brightness immediately after turning on.• Efficient: 5 to 8 times less energy used and 4 times less heat released than incandescent lights.- resistant to shock, pressure & vibrations : 25 to 50 times less replacement needed over an average lifetime of 35,000 hours. Less maintenance means more satisfactionLEDs bring several advantages to the lighting industry, including high efficacy and durability, and, with superior life over other lamp sources, their required maintenance is greatly reduced. This translates into energy savings, maintenance savings, and environmental sustainability. There is also the potential for greater optical control (more controllable source), dimming, instant on/off, and reduced rate of lumen depreciation (potential for long application life).

3- Why are LEDs considered a GREEN technology ?

Thaleos LEDs are environmentally friendly on many fronts. First, unlike HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps LEDs contain NO mercury. In addition, our Thaleos LED are RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant and have been designed to provide more than a decade of near maintenance-free service. That means no re-lamping which means no waste. Also Thaleos LED are compliant for electromagnetic wave risk to eyes and skin.Assuming an HID fixture is re-lamped every two years, that’s five re-lamping cycles over a 10 year period. Just imagine the benefits of choosing LED:

- No concern over proper disposal (hopefully not simply thrown in a landfill) of old HID lamps containing harmful mercury. - No fuel used and the accompanying pollution to service those fixtures.Greatly reduced potential for lane closures and other productivity and inconvenience-related costs associated with maintaining an HID system.- No natural resources lost to produce the replacement lamps that contain mercury. - No fuel used to move old-technology lamps from the factory (most likely overseas), to the distributor, to the contractor, to the job site. It’s important to keep in mind all the positive and powerful ripple effects that using LED technology can have on the environment.

LED fixtures must be designed with junction temperature thermal management as a key component and use the correct LEDs. These products will then be robust enough to operate in most ambient temperature applications. Unlike fluorescent sources, cold temperatures do not impact the performance of LEDs.

6- What is junction temperature ?

Junction temperature is the temperature at the point where an individual diode connects to its base. Maintaining a low junction temperature increases output and slows LED lumen depreciation. Junction temperature is a key metric for evaluating an LED product's quality and ability to deliver long life.The three things affecting junction temperature are: drive current, thermal path, and ambient temperature. In general, the higher the drive current, the greater the heat generated at the die. Heat must be moved away from the die in order to maintain expected light output, life, and color. The amount of heat that can be removed depends upon the ambient temperature and the design of the thermal path from the die to the surroundings.

7- Do I have to replace LEDs ?

An LED does not burn out like a standard lamp, so individual diodes do not need to be replaced. Instead, the diodes gradually produce lower output levels over a very long period of time. If one LED fails, it does not produce a complete fixture outage.

8-Why is the life span of an LED measured as lumen depreciation ?

The life span of an LED is vastly longer than that of incandescent, fluorescent or HID lamp sources, generally lasting 35,000 hours. Although the LED never really burns out, product life span is measured by lumen depreciation.The Illuminating Engineering Society's (IES) current standard for calculating the life of an LED as the point at which the LED reaches 30 percent lumen depreciation.Remember, a 100,000-hour rating is not equivalent to lamp life rating. LED life is rated where it has reached 30 percent lumen depreciation. At 100,000 hours an LED would still be operating, but at a decreased lumen output.

Is your LED guaranteed?Thaleos LED is guaranteed 2 years

How to obtain a quotation?You can obtain a quotation on the website in the section contact.

How to contact us?You can contact us by telephone to 01 70 27 61 12 either by e-mail at the following address: